Fare-box



(-No Model.)

I No. 833,288. Patented Dec. 29, 1885 UNITED STATES PATENT. ries,

FRANK O. LANDGRANE AND MILTON E. l/VILLIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA.

FARE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,233, dated December 29, 1885.

Application filed September 4, 1885. Serial No. 176,204.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK 0. LAND- GRANE and MILTON E. WILLIs, both of the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Fare-Boxes, and we-hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in fare-boxes, such as are employed upon street-railways; and it consists in a means for preventing the abstraction of money gr fares after they have been placed in the ox. Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of our invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a view of the hinged plate and pawl.

A is a fare-box, of the usual construction, having an opening, B, for the introduction of fares, and the inclined plates C and D, standing at reverse angles, as shown, and over which the fares pass, dropping, finally, upon :5 the table E, from which they are dischargedinto the receiving-box beneath from time to time.

Various methods have been employed by dishonest persons to abstract money or tickets from these boxes, one of which is to employ a strap having an adhesive substance upon its lower end, this strap being lowered through the opening B, until its end reaches the table E, where some coins may have been left; and these can be made to adhere to the strap, so as to be drawn out with it. To

prevent this, the lower edge of the plates C and D have been armed with sharp needles,

which are intended to catch the strap when it is being withdrawn, so as to hold it. When these points are fixed in one position, however, it is possible to withdraw the strap, and one portion of our invention relates to a means for preventing it.

Another method of abstracting fares is to reverse the box, and then, by turning the table, some of the fares may be brought from the receiver into the upper part of the box, so as to be finally taken out through the opening B, this being done upon cars called dou- (No model.)

ble-enders, where the box is carried from the rear end of the car to the front end as often as the horses are changed at the end of the route. In order to prevent this last operation, we secure a small tube, G, in a vertical position to one end of the side of the box between the inclined plate D and the table E. This tube is partially filled with small shot, and the upper end being left open, it will be impossible to invert the box without spilling the shot, and as these could not be returned into the tube, they serve as a means for detecting any tampering with the box.

In order to detect the use of the strap, we employ a plate, H, which is journaled at the lower, edge of the inclined plate D, and has the sharp-pointed needles or pins I upon its lower edge. Upon the rear edge of this plate, near one of the journals, is a toothed are, J; and K is a pawl or lever pivoted to the side of the box, so that its point will engage with the teeth of the segment. The rear end of this lever, which extends back from its pivot, is sufficiently heavy to hold the point in contact with the segment, so that if the edge of the plate should be lifted up the pawl would engage the teeth and hold the plate at any point to which it was lifted.

In case the strap were inserted, it would be caught by the teeth or points upon the edge of the plate, and when the attempt was made to withdraw the strap the plate would be drawn up, turning about its journals until the points were brought close against the side of the box. If, then, it were possible, by breaking or otherwise, to withdraw the strap, this plate would still be held in its position so asto close the passage, and any fares which might be dropped into the box after that 9( would remain upon the top of the hinged plate, not being able to pass it and drop upon the table. This would show the receiver at the office that the box had been tampered with, and the number of fares upon the top of the plate would show at about what point it had occurred.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

ICO

In a fare-box, the hinged or journaledy In witness whereof we have hereunto set plate forming an extension below the inclined our hands. stationary plate D, and having a toothed or FRANK O. LANDGRANE. notched segment upon its rear edge, in com- MILTON E. WILLIS.

5 bination with a weighted pawl or lever engagitnesses:

ing said segment, substantially as herein de- O. D. COLE, scribed. l J. H. BLooD. 

